Atlanta Braves Make Ronald Acuña Jr. Announcement Before Rays Game

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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 02: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

After splitting their four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies over Labor Day weekend, the Atlanta Braves remain four games ahead of the Phillies for first place in the NL East, but the road won’t get any easier this week, as the Braves are set to host the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series and then welcome the Phillies to their park for a three-game weekend series.

During the Phillies series, Ronald Acuña Jr. was the star of the show, and he accomplished many feats that made headlines over the weekend.

Before the Rays game on Tuesday, the Braves lineup was revealed, and it featured a notable Ronald Acuña Jr. announcement.

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Ronald Acuña Jr. Batting 2nd in Braves Order on Tuesday

In a slight lineup tweak, Ronald Acuña Jr. is batting 2nd (and playing RF) for Tuesday’s series opener against the Rays.

Acuña Jr. batted leadoff and DH’d on Monday afternoon.

Per @UnderdogMLB, here is the full Atlanta Braves order for 9/8:

Braves 9/8: “M. Harris II CF R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B D. Baldwin DH M. Dubón SS O. Albies 2B A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF S. Murphy C A. Smith-Shawver SP”

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Braves 9/8

M. Harris II CF R. Acuña Jr. RF M. Olson 1B D. Baldwin DH M. Dubón SS O. Albies 2B A. Riley 3B M. Yastrzemski LF S. Murphy C

A. Smith-Shawver SP

3:15 pm · 8 Sep 2026

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Inside Ronald Acuña Jr.’s 2026 Season

Ronald Acuña Jr. has missed some time this season with injuries, but it appears he’s starting to regain his confidence at the plate once again.

Over 91 games played, Acuña Jr. is batting .253 with an OPS+ of 117.

He’s also added 16 home runs, 86 hits, 45 RBI, and 20 stolen bases to the Braves’ offense.

Ronnie recently became the fastest player in MLB history to record 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Also, during the Phillies series, Acuña Jr. recorded his career hit No. 1,000.

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